Over the summer I've had various home ed conversations. Weeks ago I met a sister in a park who said that home ed would be her worst nightmare, as she usually couldn't wait to get all her kids out of the house so she could clean it. That cleaning thing comes up a lot. People say, how do you manage to find time to spend on the children when there is all the cleaning and cooking to be done? It baffles me really. Is there any better way to avoid housework than the worthy pursuit of being with ones' children?
Yesterday I met a couple of teacher/tutor sisters who although confident about teaching other peoples' kids were not so about their own. They felt there was a different relationship with their child when it came to learning. I don't understand that. It seems to me that there is a difference between a mother and a housekeeper, but a mother and an educator are one and the same thing. Are ironing and washing up really seen as part of mothering? I would happily allow someone else to help me with those chores, or even pay them if I could afford to. But hand over the kids and let someone else have all the fun of seeing them learn? That would be me being robbed.
A couple of days ago my new neighbour asked me which school I'd registered the kids in. She managed to maintain her cheery, bright expression through her obvious surprise when I told her I home ed. Then she went on to say that the schools round here aren't much good anyway. Wonder what she'll do with her toddler when the time comes.
An HE friend told me recently how the coach of her kids summer sports programme took her to one side one day and asked her to explain more about HE as he had seen how lovely her children were and would rather his 8 month old turned out like them than like the rest of the kids.
This collection of thoughts from bits of conversations doesn't lead to any coherent conclusions. But I'm always shocked by the idea that some people prefer to spend time with the housework than with their kids.
3 comments:
I don't prefer housework to being with the kids..but sometimes am forced to do it when I cannot find the sink! I find it difficult to keep the house near straight and home ed at the same time..and this is a constant source of unhappiness for me..am one of those people who cannot function if house is mess...so the house being upside down means that I am distracted from being with my kids fully and without irritability.
Anyway, we weren't meant to be struggling alone with household duties, am sure that it is better if we all get involved..which is why my kids are usually roped in to clear up etc as a matter of duty..if we can make the cleaning up pleasant with chat and songs or if someone is reading to us as we work then all the better..but even if a grumpy mood prevails I am insisting that the children also clean and clear household mess.
I do understand why people put their kids in school..these days it is not normal to do much else than that...but once a parent knows all the options (i.e: that home ed is possible and often healthier) then I find it difficult to understand how they can do the public schooled system. [shrugs] But I figure that all mothers have to weigh up their options and then choose the one they can cope best with..or even the one that they know to be better for their kids.
Yes, of course housework does have to be done (to a certain extent!)But i am a person who can mentally "be somewhere else". So if there is mess I can block it out for quite a while. Did I really say "if"!
Asalaam 'Alaikum:
Okay, in case you didn't notice - you got me started when I wasn't intending to ever go there! Check it out:
http://educatingthemuslimchild.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/how-bad-do-you-want-it/
Asalaam 'Alaikum,
Sumayyah Umm Sadiqah - Asma - Ayah
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